i was hunting through old posts for a recipe i needed and i stumbled upon some vintage angela ramblings. it was some longwinded monologue on the fact that wesley and i are in a constant battle over style vs function. 

it got me to laughing about how nothing has really changed, and our garden has become as big of a battle ground as our kitchen. i'm all about introducing colors and flowers into the garden so that our eyes are as pleased as our pallets. but wesley only wants things in the garden that we can eat. 

well i found a solution to our conflict. lots of edible flowers. i get my florals, he gets his function. the only downfall is that we have way more nasturtiums than i know what to do with. so i'm getting creative. btw this is ONE of my areas with nasturtiums AFTER i harvested it. 

wes has been raving about a few of the dishes at his new job and all of them seem so beautifully simple. so i took that idea to the nasturtiums. and the results were delightfully bright, spicy and crisp.

nasturtium & crispy shallot salad
serves: 2
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 5 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups chopped nasturtium leaves. 2 cups nasturtium flowers. 1 shallot, sliced thin. .25 cup + 2 tbs olive oil. 3 tbs lemon juice. 2 tbs soy sauce. 2 garlic cloves, so finely minced they become a paste. 1 tbs brown sugar. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp pepper.

start by combining the leaves and flowers in a salad bowl and setting it aside. 

to make the dressing, combine .25 cup olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. 

set it aside with the greens. heat your remaining oil in medium pan. 

season the shallots with the salt and add the shallots to the very hot oil. 

you will know the oil is hot enough when you test one shallot and it sizzles the second it hits the pan. fry up the shallots till golden brown and crispy. about 5 minutes. 

remove them from the pan to a paper towel to remove any excess oil. 

drizzle your salad with the dressing and toss well.

top with crispy shallot and serve. 

xo, a

nasturtium & crispy shallot salad
serves: 2
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 5 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups chopped nasturtium leaves. 2 cups nasturtium flowers. 1 shallot, sliced thin. .25 cup + 2 tbs olive oil. 3 tbs lemon juice. 2 tbs soy sauce. 2 garlic cloves, so finely minced they become a paste. 1 tbs brown sugar. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp pepper.
start by combining the leaves and flowers in a salad bowl and setting it aside. to make the dressing, combine .25 cup olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. set it aside with the greens. heat your remaining oil in medium pan. season the shallots with the salt and add the shallots to the very hot oil. you will know the oil is hot enough when you test one shallot and it sizzles the second it hits the pan. fry up the shallots till golden brown and crispy. about 5 minutes.remove them from the pan to a paper towel to remove any excess oil. drizzle your salad with the dressing and toss well. top with crispy shallot and serve. 

it may be early in the season, but spring in california is in full bloom. the heavy (and rare) rain we had this winter created a "super bloom." which in my little secret garden means my marjoram has grown out of control. and i have the perfect solution for extra herbs. 

whether you can't possibly use all you are growing in your own garden, or you just purchased an overpriced pack of thyme at the market and you only used three sprigs for your recipe, drying herbs is simple. 

start by trimming and washing your herbs well. if you are cutting the herbs fresh from your garden, it is best to do it in the morning before the bright sun has a chance to wilt them. 

after washing the herbs well, pat them dry. 

remove as many of the leaves as you can from the stems. this could be a quick process for herbs like basil or parsley that are larger. for smaller herbs like thyme, oregano and marjoram it may take you a bit longer. if you have kids, this is a great task for little hands to help with. while you are removing the leaves from the stems, preheat your oven to 200 degrees f. 

once all your leaves are removed from the stems, once again pat them dry. 

place your leaves on a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet. 

place your baking sheet in the oven and use a rolled up dish towel an oven mitt to tent the oven (keeping it slightly ajar so air circulates). dry the herbs for 1 hour (might take a bit longer for larger herbs like basil). 

when the herbs have dried, allow them to cool. remove any remaining large stems. 

using your hands, a food processor or spice grinder, grind the herbs up into almost a powder. 

pour your freshly dried herbs into an airtight container. label and keep on hand for up to six months. 

xo, a